Regret Message
by Valkyrie Elysia
Summary: Based on the Vocaloid song. Standing on the beach with a message in a bottle, Luffy thinks about his brothers as he sends his wish to the sea.


**V.E.: I am so sorry. I know this idea is probably something too sad to bring to life, but I couldn't help it! I just watched the Vocaloid song a while ago and it came up when I was reading angst regarding Luffy after Ace's death! Why did I do this?! I'm such a terrible person!**

… **.wait, I haven't written anything yet. Better save the weeping apologies to the end.**

 **Anyway, hello One Piece fans! Glad to finally meet you. I have to say out of all the battle heavy shounen anime, this is the only one I actually follow consistently. Naruto, I dropped around the Chunin Arc; Bleach, I don't think it got passed my three-episode rule; Shokugeki no Soma….is technically a cooking anime that is based like a battle shounen anime….I put it in my gray category.**

 **Well, at least I should get this piece of angst on the road.**

 **Quote: "Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep…..Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die."- Mary Elizabeth Frye (Parts of a really great poem, I suggest anyone it check it out).**

* * *

Luffy had always loved the sea.

He may never have been able to swim in it (even before he had eaten a devil fruit), but there had always been a part of him that loved to watch the sea. Maybe if he was a bit more book smart like Robin or musically inclined like Brook he could describe it better, but Luffy was Luffy and Luffy was not an overly complicated person. He just loved what he loved.

But looking out at the sea today felt different. Maybe it's because he wasn't looking at it from his ship, the first to want to see what would be coming up on the horizon, instead looking out on the beach of Rusukaina. Maybe it's because it was the first time he had looked at the sea utterly alone, even if it was just him watching the sea he did not feel alone if there were people nearby. Raleigh had gone back to Sabaody almost two months ago, leaving Luffy to finish his training on his own on the island of monsters.

And while it did allow Luffy to be able to fight with very little distractions since he didn't have to worry about anything but himself, it also did leave him alone with his thoughts when he wasn't fighting or eating.

And his nightmares weren't helping much either. While it was nowhere near as much as during the first couple of weeks of training, flashbacks to Marineford and Ace's last words were quite common when he was in the state of unconscious.

Then there was the dream he'd been having for the past few weeks. He'd be back at Dawn Island, over ten years ago. Back when he still couldn't control his Devil Fruit powers as well, back when Sabo was still alive. He'd be running with his brothers in the forest, laughing like they were having the time of their lives.

And then two would run out far ahead of him and no matter how much he called to them to slow down, they would just get farther and farther away until he could no longer see them. Then he'd wake up.

Sometimes Luffy would wonder how Ace and Sabo were doing in wherever you go after you die. He knew his brothers would have been really glad to see each other after so long. Where they on an adventure right now, laughing just like when they were kids? (Was Sabo still a kid or did he look Ace's age?) Or were they waiting for him to get there before doing that because brothers stick together?

Or were they reincarnated and never got the chance to meet up again?

For some reason, thinking like this had made him sad.

But that wasn't what he was thinking about now.

It almost evening, the fiery warm colors of the sunset contrasting the cool sea as the waves washed up on the beach that he was currently standing upon. In his hands, was a glass bottle that did not have any liquid inside but rather a rolled up piece of paper.

He looked down at the bottle, remembering the words from an old story Makino told him once. It had been a long time ago (back before he had met Ace or Shanks), but the words rang clearly through his head when he had found a bottle that Rayleigh had left behind along with some paper and a pen. _"And so she sent the bottle with her wish to the sea, finally breaking down on the beach and begging the heavens that the day might come she might see her brother again, whether in life or death."_

He honestly didn't remember the rest of the story (though given his memory that was hardly a surprise), but something about how badly the girl wanted to see her brother after she had been practically left all alone struck a chord with Luffy. He knew it was just a story and what he was doing wasn't probably going to change anything, but Luffy didn't really listen to the rational part of his mind (yes he did have one, regardless of what the majority of people including most of his own crew thought).

Knowing he couldn't get too close to the water or run the risk of sinking into the shallow waves, he readied his arm and then stretched it as far as he could. Once the hand holding the bottle was over the water, he let go, the bottle dropping into the water and bobbling with the waves.

He watched the bottle with the wish wrapped inside bob along, heading away from the island to wherever the waves would take it. Maybe someone would find the bottle and see the message, puzzled by its words. Or maybe it would continue on its own adventure?

The very idea of the word brought a small smile to Luffy. At least he still had that. It would not be long until he met up with his crew, his _nakama_ , and then he would be going on adventures again. It was the only promise to his brothers he could keep now….the only thing he could do for the two since he was the only one left…

And with that last thought, his eyes pricked with a very familiar feeling as the tears began to run down his face and his knees buckled to the ground. He felt the water stream even more as the images of his memories flashed in his mind.

" _Ace…Luffy….we will definitely set out to sea one day. We'll be freer than anybody else!"_

" _You're so funny Luffy! I can't wait to see what happens in the future with you!"_

" _ **So from today onwards…we are brothers!"**_

" _ **Listen up and remember this, Luffy! I WON'T DIE!"**_

" _ **You've gotten stronger Luffy."**_

" _ **THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME!"**_

He felt his mouth open, choking out the words through the tears. "Sabo….Ace….I'm sorry…

"…. _I'm so sorry_ ….."

He may be stronger now, strong enough to head to the New World now, but he would never forget that he was not strong enough for when he needed it the most. Regardless of what people said, he knew that he was partially to blame for the death of his brothers.

 _If he had urged Ace more to go after Sabo….._

 _If he could have dodged Akainu's attack on his own…._

Then Luffy's mind shifted to his wish in the bottle as he began talking to something he wasn't sure even existed. "Hey…God…. or whatever is up there…. if you exist, could you…. listen? I have to go back soon…. I'm going to live my life without any regrets, just like we promised. My crew is waiting and we've got our dreams to fulfill.

"But when I go, however I go…. I don't know what happens after that, but…. but I don't care about that answer. Whether there is a heaven or hell…. or another life waiting…all I want is... is…it'd…. it'd be nice…"

" _ **It'd be nice if the three of us could be brothers together again."**_

Luffy's head shot up, turning to his side where he had thought he had heard that painful familiar voice. "Ace?!"

Unfortunately, nothing was there and it was just Luffy alone on that beach. And yet…. he felt calmer as if his brother had just been there, watching him.

Like he wasn't alone.

Having a couple of more sniffles in, Luffy began to brush away his tears as he looked at the sunset, the stars starting to appear and twinkle. _Hey, Ace…..Sabo….I'll definitely become the King of Pirates._

 _So just wait….until we get to see each other again._

* * *

 **V.E.: Well, this isn't as good as I hoped it would be. Yet, I wanted to do something involving Luffy grieving Ace and Sabo's deaths because face it Luffy was not given much of a chance to grieve after Marineford. And face it, we may not like feeling sad, but sadness is very healthy. Inside out handles that better than I could ever hope to explain.**

 **And yes, I know Sabo isn't dead, but Luffy doesn't know that. Hence why he didn't hear Sabo right then unlike when he was a child.**

 **Well, this also took a lot longer than I hoped. Man, my Star Wars fans are not going be happy with me.**

 **Oh and I wrote a little bit about religion. Well, sort of. I will admit it is nice that it doesn't seem like there's some all-powerful deities controlling the fate of all mankind in One Piece like it is in a lot of anime and video games, but I feel that while Oda gave us a really large and expansive world, the details of culture and religion are not ironed out that well (if at all).**

 **Please review and if I get enough response, I have two ideas for a sequel to this.**

 **Have a good day and I hope you get to read more from me in the future.**


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